Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

Can you eat too many bananas?

25 replies

FromDistantOphir · 23/02/2017 21:50

My 2yo could eat 7 or 8 bananas a day if I let him....

Is there any danger in letting him eat loads of bananas? Is there such a thing as too many bananas?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
fabulous01 · 23/02/2017 21:52

One of my twins loves them but gets badly constipated so they are only given as a special treat and only if she is regular

Original poster
FromDistantOphir · 23/02/2017 21:56

Thanks.

fortunately, DS tends to be very regular and has quite loose bowels. Bananas seem to make no difference to this.

I'm wondering if maybe I let him have 7 or 8 bananas a day, this fetish for bananas would soon wear thin and we'd no longer live under the Banana Tyranny.

OP posts:
mycatloveslego · 23/02/2017 21:58

They have a lot of potassium in them which can cause abnormal heart rhythms if you have levels in your blood that are too high. I'd be careful about letting him have more than a couple a day.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

2 year olds Behaviour & development Families General parenting
PonderLand · 23/02/2017 21:59

I've also heard bananas can cause constipation however my brother used to eat 2/3 bananas a day when we were younger and they didn't effect him. I suppose just give it a go and see! If you notice him getting bowel issues then give him some fresh orange juice, should help things along!

PonderLand · 23/02/2017 22:00

Also 7/8 maybe a bit too many! Too much of anything is never good, I didn't know about the potassium issue but that proves the theory.

Original poster
FromDistantOphir · 23/02/2017 22:01

ok, the heart thing has slightly freaked me out (to be fair, that's quite easy to do). I have no idea how many bananas they let him have at nursery.. I never ask... so I suppose he might already have been having 7 - 8 bananas a day....

OP posts:
ReggaeShark · 23/02/2017 22:07

If I were you I'd definitely check RDA for potassium for a child and check how much in bananas. I'd guess 7 or 8 is too much potassium.

PastysPrincess · 23/02/2017 22:10

I have the same problem; we had to remove the fruit bowl once he figured out how to open them himself.

Original poster
FromDistantOphir · 23/02/2017 22:12

His favourite story at the moment involves monkeys eating bananas...we stay on that page a looooooong time. sigh.

OP posts:
mycatloveslego · 23/02/2017 22:19

Sorry Op I didn't mean to freak you out. Even with 7-8 bananas a day he's probably only very slightly over the RDA for potassium, but I guess it depends what else he eats that might have potassium in it too.

Thinkingblonde · 23/02/2017 22:21

No more than two a day is what a nutritionist recommended to me.
They are high in potassium,

coragreta · 23/02/2017 22:34

Also that's 700calories just in bananas. That can't be good. He needs to be getting his calories from a wide varied diet.

RebelRogue · 23/02/2017 22:37

It would take 400 bananas to get enough potassium to kill someone.

Highlove · 23/02/2017 22:39

I'd imagine there's a lot of sugar in 7 or 8 bananas. But it's also probably half his daily calorie requirements and having that much of one thing will have an impact on how much else he eats, meaning he probably won't be getting a wide enough variety of nutrients. Really, I don't think a toddler ought to routinely have more than one banana a day!

ghostwatch · 23/02/2017 23:11

I read somewhere that too much of any one food is not good for you.

ScrambledSmegs · 23/02/2017 23:16

I remember an anecdote on Buzzcocks years ago about Peter Andre collapsing on stage due to eating too many bananas. I have no idea if it's true or not, but eating 7 or 8 a day would probably give both adults and toddlers stomach pains.

originalbiglymavis · 23/02/2017 23:20

I know if you have kidney problems you are advised to limit it to one a day because of the potassium. I imagine 7 or 8 a day for a child is a huge amount!

LilQueenie · 23/02/2017 23:20

I limit my daughter to 2 a day because of the potassium which is basically something to do with heart rhythm.

Doglikeafox · 24/02/2017 17:15

Bananas are fantastic for children.. and adults... and everyone! Grin
But I think 7-8 is too much, and personally I would aim for 2-4 a day max. Overdosing on potassium is unlikely, but as another poster has said the bigger concern is that your little one is getting so many of his calories from bananas, rather than a good mix of other things.
Although, as I said, bananas are amazingGrinGrin

Doglikeafox · 24/02/2017 17:16

I have about 4-6 a day as a perfectly healthy adult, for perspective Smile

Kittylongpopping · 26/02/2017 22:36

Nothing to add i'm afraid in way of advice but my DD who is 2 is exactly the same. I have to hide the bananas or she would just eat them all day. I buy a new bunch of bananas everyday!

I have often wondered whether it is possible to eat too many and to not be good for you

Penfold007 · 26/02/2017 22:53

I appreciate it's fructose but then is roughly 12 grams of sugar in a banana. Seven or eight a day is 84 to 96 grams of sugar a day.

LittleMissCantbebothered · 26/02/2017 23:04

There's a woman (name forgotten) who eats 50 bananas a day and looks super lean and amazing. You'll have to google her though.

Doglikeafox · 27/02/2017 07:37

Freelee the banana girl Grin

Highlove · 27/02/2017 08:43

So in terms of sugar, 7-8 bananas is equivalent to having 4 or 5 bags of maltesers. Every day. That's you're answer right there, then!

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread